If you are confused about Shower Valves you are not alone. We get asked questions everyday about shower mixing valves and rough in shower plumbing fixtures. A Shower Valve is not something most people think about on a daily basis, but here at FaucetList.com, it's our business to know about this stuff. Therefore we've decided to write this article to educate you about Shower Rough In Valves.
For detailed specifics on Shower Rough-in Valves, just keep reading! For a more general guide to showers check out our: Complete Guide to Delta Shower Faucets.
At FaucetList.com we offer many styles of shower faucet for sale on our site. Typically in any full renovation or new home build you will need to purchase both a Shower Trim Kit and Shower Valve. Many of our showers are sold complete with the trim kit and valve. This makes ordering easy and guarantees you will be buying compatible parts.
Customers often ask us about the difference between two shower fixtures that appear the same, but have a different price. Almost always the difference is related to the shower rough in valve part that is included with each. Throughout this article you'll see a some examples of the exact same shower trim kit sold with either the valve with stops or the valve without stops. This allows you the ability to order whichever item you feel best suits your requirements.
Once your new home construction or bathroom renovation project is long since completed, you may wish you had given a little more thought to which rough-in valve the plumber installed in your wall. Why do you ask? Well lots of issues can come up later when home owners make uninformed decisions about the rough-in valve they install. And once your shower is all tiled up, changing or repairing the valve can get expensive real quick.
I know it's a little boring and you're probably overwhelmed with decisions. But this one might matter just a little more than a decision such as whether white, bone, cream, or off-white is best color for your light switches. That type of thing is easy to change later so what you choose now doesn't matter as much. A replacement rough-in valve for your shower is anything but easy to change. So take a moment and make an educated decision about this particular fixture. You won't regret it.
So let's get right into it. A Rough Valve is a REQUIRED PART OF EVERY SHOWER. Most people don't necessarily know what it is because it installs inside the wall and you never actually see it. Although hidden from sight, the valve serves a very important function.
The rough-in shower mixer valve is the part of your shower that connects up with the hot and cold water lines in your home. A Shower valve body rough in kit is the brass fixture inside the shower wall where the hot and cold water gets mixed to a comfortable warm temperature, perfect for your morning shower. Once the hot and cold water is mixed, the shower rough in valve sends it out to the showerhead or tub spout. Where it goes depends on the style of shower trim kit you have.
Regardless of the shower trim kit style, the valve fixture basically does the same thing. It mixes hot and cold water to create warm water suitable for your shower. Most shower rough-in valves have 4 ports. 2 inlets for the hot and cold water pipes, and two outlets, one for tub spout and one for showerhead. If you have tub and shower combination trim kit you will use the top outlet port to supply the showerhead and the bottom outlet port to supply the tub spout. If your bathroom has a separate bathtub and you need a shower only faucet function, the Rough valve's bottom outlet port is be plugged.
You will sometimes see a Shower rough in Valve with Stops referred to as having screwdriver stops or integral stops. They also can be called Shower Valves with Shut off Stops. All of these terms are basically interchangeable. They reference shut-off devices built into the shower valve. Not all rough-in Valves have stops. They are not actually necessary in all installations. Keep reading to learn about use cases where you would want to have a valve with stops.
To access the stops, you first must remove the shower trim kit. Once it is removed you will see the stops near where the hot and cold water lines enter the valve through the inlets. Typically, all you need to do to turn the stops is get a screwdriver and rotate. Different manufacturers might work differently but it should be pretty obvious and easy to turn the stops and shut off the flow of water to the valve. Make sure to turn off both the hot and cold sides!
Typically the way you turn the shut off stops is with a screw driver. Hence the reason they are sometimes called screwdriver stops. They are pretty manual. Using a screwdriver to turn the stop interrupts the flow of water to the valve. You have one stop on the cold side and one on the hot side. The supply stop will stop turning when it is fully closed, and will remain water-tight.
Let's say your home has 4 bathrooms. You notice that one of your Showers is leaking. Time to call the plumber! Well once the plumber arrives, the first step to repairing a shower faucet is turning off the water. If the individual leaking Shower Valve has no accessible shut-off stops to allow the plumber to isolate that particular shower faucet, it will require them to use a stop further down the line. This might mean they need to turn the water off at the main shut-off valve. This is disadvantageous, as it will turn off the water to the entire house.
So one Shower Valve with a problem has now required the plumber to shut off the water to all your other bathrooms, your kitchen, your hose, toilets, everything. Not good!
A Shower Rough in with Stops solves this problem. In the same scenario, if your leaky Shower Faucet had a valve with stops, the process would be much simpler. The plumber would remove the trim kit, and use the integral screwdriver stops to stop the water flow to the individual leaky shower. While he is making repairs, the rest of the house will continue to have water as normal. This is better for you! While the plumber fixes the leak you will continue to be able to live as normal in the rest of the house.
Think of a situation where the plumber needs to go out and get a part to fix your shower and the water will need to be off for a few hours. What if the plumber can't get the part today!? If you had the valve with stops you can just refrain from using that particular shower. So what? Use another bathroom, no big deal. If you don't have a valve with stops, you might be forced to go without water in your home for an extended period. If you've ever been camping you know that without running water many things become significantly more difficult. No shower valve stops might have you running for the in-laws or a night in a hotel.
So if you had the choice, why not go with the valve with stops? If your wall is open you have the freedom to choose whatever style valve you want. A little careful consideration at this moment can save you a lot of trouble later.
Think of stops as a specific shut off unit for each individual shower in your home. They allow you to turn off the water to that specific shower instead of to the entire house. This is convenient for future maintenance and repairs. The small additional up-front cost pays for itself in terms of time and hassle saved should a problem ever arise.
Well this depends. We've outlined the use case for a single family home. To be honest though with a high-quality valve you may never need the stops. Even if you do need them, most of the time a shower valve repair will only take an hour or two. It's not the end of the world for the water main to be shut off during that time. Let's say every 10 years you needed to turn the water off for 2 hours. I think it wouldn't be much of an issue.
Where shower valve stops become essential (and sometimes required) are in multi-family complexes. In condos and duplexes, installing a valve with stops is a no-brainer. You don't want one unit's leaky shower to cause everyone in the complex to not have water. In a large apartment building with 100 units, you'll probably have someone with a leaky shower every few weeks. It would not be acceptable for the tenants to lose their water that often. In this installation scenario stops are a must.
Quick summary: In a single family home stops are nice but not essential. In a multi-family complex stops are a requirement.
Yes! Shower rough in valves without stops are by far the most common. They work absolutely as well in every way. The benefit of stops only has to do with repair and maintenance of the shower valve. It's much more common in single family homes to find Shower valves without stops. Often builders choose a valve without stops since they know it's not going to make a huge difference and they can save a little money. However, if you are buying the fixtures for your home and have the option to get the valve with stops we recommend you do so. The cost difference is minimal.
Some plumbers don't like to use valves with stops in them. They will try to tell you that by the time it is necessary to actually use the shut-off valves that they won't seal properly any longer. Their opinion is that shower valve problems are so few and far between (we're talking many years) that the rubber gaskets in the stops may be of no use once they get too old. We do not share this opinion. We have seen way too many situations where having stops turned out to be very useful. Especially in commercial applications, valve stops are used all the time.
A poor quality shower valve could be a crucial point of weakness in your home's plumbing. Leaks, and in worse cases flooding, often begin at the shower rough-in valve. The reason being, the valve is hidden behind the tile. This means you won't necessarily be aware of a problem until it's too late. With a bathroom sink faucet you will be easily able to notice dripping. This would indicate a seal might have failed or that a crack is forming. With a shower valve you'll never really know what is going on since you can't see it.
Therefore it's important to go with a reputable brand when you purchase your shower. Almost all major brands are a safe bet. It's tempting to look at the cheap imported showers for sale online. But we recommend not skimping when it comes to your shower. You can go for a less expensive sink faucet but please consider the worst case when it comes to your shower.
If the valve fails and your home floods, major damage is likely to occur. Most major brands have flood insurance that protects you against this kind of catastrophic failure. Good choices include well-known brands like Delta, Moen, Kohler, Grohe, HansGrohe, Price Pfister, American Standard, and others. Look for a brand with a lifetime warranty. Also, look for a brand with a name you recognize. This gives you a better chance they'll still be around down the line if you ever need help.
Delta shower rough in valves are a great choice for many reasons. We are a big fan of their universal installation capabilities. We are also a fan of having a large company standing behind the valve in an important place like the shower.
In addition to the catastrophic situation of a flood, it's important to choose a high quality valve so you are unlikely to have to deal with a replacement in the future. However, in the case that your shower valve does fail and needs to be replaced, it's very important that you are able to still contact the company who made it. This allows you access to replacement parts and warranty service. It also means you will likely be able to replace just the shower valve, rather than having to replace your entire shower.
The Shower Valve you install in your wall is an important thing to consider. If you have the walls open, you can choose any valve you like so why not go with something high-quality? Don't let the plumber or contractor pressure you into getting a cheap shower valve from a big box store. Don't go shopping online looking for deals and order something from a no name import brand. Get a Shower rough-in valve with a warranty and big company that stands behind it. When deciding on a Shower rough in with Stops or without Stops take a minute to consider your use case. If you live in a single family home and are trying to keep costs down, the Valve without Stops is likely fine. If you are in a multi-family complex, definitely go with the version with stops. Remember though, Stops have some benefits even in a single family home. And you can't change your mind once the valves are in the wall and the tiles are up. For a small increase in price you may find the benefits of Shower Valves with Stops outweigh the very minor increase in price (around $20-30 depending on brand).
Remember, when shopping for a shower faucet you need to purchase both a trim kit and a rough-in valve. This guide was designed to assist you with understanding the difference between a rough-in valve with stops and one without stops. If you are having trouble figuring out which trim kits go with with rough-in valves, we have made this easy by creating handy packages that contain both parts. Guaranteed compatible, we make shopping easy! Take a look at our many great complete shower faucets and order today!
At FaucetList.com we are big fans of the Delta brand. The valve is just one of several major components found in a shower. We recommend you check out another article we wrote that contains tons of useful information about Delta Shower Faucets. We have over 40 years' experience in the plumbing industry so if you still need help feel free to Contact us! You are also welcome to ask your question in the comment section below.
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Co-founder, FaucetList.com, Plumbing Industry Experience: 25+ years
Nick Kuzmin has been working with or around plumbing products for over 25 years. This lifetime of experience has given him a large amount of useful and practical knowledge on almost all plumbing related topics which he freely writes about and shares online. Nick co-founded FaucetList.com with his father Jim in 2011.
Hi Brian, when installing your Delta multichoice valve with stops you’ll want to make sure that the stops are open all the way to ensure water flow is not restricted. That being said there is not really an exact answer as to how far exactly they should be opened. Obviously you don’t want to open them so much that they fall out (as is your concern). Delta has built in enough extra threading that this shouldn’t be an issue. When in doubt, you can judge if they are open enough by testing the water flow rate from the tub spout or shower head. If the water seems to be flowing too slowly, you could try opening the stops a little more. If there does not seem to be any difference than they are likely already maximally “open.” Just do your testing by adding the handle of the trim kit but before sealing the trim kit escutcheon plate to the wall. This way it will be pretty easy to test a few times. I will also mention to you (and anyone else reading) that Delta themselves are a great resource for exactly this type of question. Their trained representatives should be able to walk you through any installation questions. You can reach them by phone: 1-800-345-DELTA (3358). Good luck with your project!
I have a Delta MultiChoice Universal Tub and Shower Valve Body Rough-in Kit with Screwdriver Stops, the cartridge is installed and I am about to install the trip kit. How far/how many turns do I turn the Screwdriver Stops to open them up fully? I have looked at the diagram and know that they are long enough and not going to easily fall out, but still, I don’t want to over – open them up. Thank you
Hi, My hot water handle can rotate right or left for the water to flow. To turn off the hot water I must find a center spot and halt at just the correct spot. The cold side turns left to flow & right to the stop point to shut off flow. The hot water valve has ALWAYS operated as described above for the 30 years we’ve owned the house. But now it’s difficult to find that “center spot” ; so it’s dripping. Is my hot cartridge a certain type ? that I can fix with a new washer ? Or should I replace the cartridge with a normal cartridge that stops at the right stop point. It was working for us until recently when we found the “sweet spot “ THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Jon (805)448-0646
Hi Ron, unfortunately your problem is tricky to diagnose and I think the best way for you to troubleshoot the issue with your faucet is to have a plumber come take a look. If you have situations where your hot water works and your cold water works, that would indicate this is not an issue related to the stops. The reason being that stops essentially function to cut off either the hot or cold water entirely. If sometimes you are able to get hot and sometimes you are able to get cold water, this means your stops both must by definition be open. As you suspected, it was my thought as well that the cartridge might be the issue. The cartridge typically controls the way the hot and cold water are mixed in the valve. The behavior you are experiencing seems to be related to the cartridge but as you say you replaced it already its really hard to know what is going on. This is pretty much the point of the process when it is time to call a plumber. Unfortunately I want to point out for the benefit of other readers, that situations like this are a reason that its a little risky to go with an unbranded product. If you had for example, a large branded faucet (made by a company like Delta, Moen, Kohler, Grohe, etc.) you would be able to call the company directly for help with troubleshooting and replacement parts. Typically all big brands include lifetime warranties and would be able to help figure this out. If you have a way to contact the seller/manufacturer of your bathtub faucet, that might be somewhere to start. Sorry I can’t be of more help, hope you are able to get your faucet working again soon!
Hi Steven, thanks for your comment. I do understand your concern that the stop would fall out and get lost inside the wall. The short answer is that the stops are entirely removable (as they are designed to be able to be replaced if ever necessary). This means theoretically they could somehow fall outside the wall if you were not careful. The slightly longer answer is that this is very unlikely. The reason is that in the fully “open” position, the stops would still be well secured in place. This means you would have to continue unscrewing them well beyond the point at which the water would already be able to freely flow if you wanted to completely detach the stop. In addition, the stop is actually not a very tiny piece and would be hard to drop. They measure just under 2 inches in length (1-31/32 inches). Here’s a link to a good picture of what a Delta screwdriver stop looks like when removed from the valve: https://www.deltafaucet.com/parts/product/RP50366.html This may help you get a better idea about what they are like. Hope this helps and good luck with your project!
Mark is completely right that a valve with stops is unnecessary if you have stops on your water line. It is a good idea to have some kind of ability to stop the water to one specific shower if ever there is a problem. Whether that ability comes from the shower valve itself, or from another type of external solution such as ball stop valves on the water lines is up to you. There’s also not really any major downside to doubling up on stops either as the cost for a valve with stops is only minimally more than a valve without stops. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Hi, I have an unbranded bathtub one-handle faucet with stops. My problem is that the cold water doesn’t run while the hot side still works. I can turn the handle to the hot side and hot water runs, but as I slowly rotate the handle over to cold side the water flow completely stops. This bathtub faucet has always worked, but I also have a separate shower so sometimes the bath tub faucet can go a full year or more before it’s ever used. I found the replacement cartridge thinking that was the culprit, but that did not fix the problem. I did try adjusting the “stops” and that didn’t fix it either. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!!
Greetings -
Regarding roughs that include water stops, is it possible to open the stops too much and have the screw fall out and get lost inside the wall? I am hoping you will confirm maximum travel is limited and it is impossible to remove the stop screws from the valve body.
Valves with stops are also unnecessary if the hot and cold water lines have stops before the valve. In my case, the PEX lines have ball stop valves where they come through the floor, with an access panel to them in the bedroom closet.
Hi Gene, thanks for your comment! It sounds like the issue is likely related to the rotational limit stop. Due to federal anti-scald regulations, most showers have a plastic fixture that physically prevents the handle from being rotated too far (so the water cannot be set too hot). However sometimes this stop is not positioned correctly on installation. Typically complaints regarding luke warm water coming from a tub and shower faucet indicate that the rotational limit stop needs to be adjusted. Especially because you are getting hot water from the bathroom sink faucet, it likely is a sign your shower’s rotational limit stop is incorrectly set. Luckily this is a pretty straight-forward fix. Take a look at this video:
https://youtu.be/By5b7uazCqM
This is likely something you can do yourself. Hope this helps! Thanks
I have a Delta shower head and hand held combo. No tub fawcet.
I’m just getting luke warm water from the showers. Is this something I can adjust on my valve? My bathroom sink fawcet is very hot.
Hi Rick, unfortunately it’s too hard to say why the tub shower faucet you have might be leaking from the stops. It could be that there is something wrong with the seal in the stops. I’m not sure if you have a Delta valve, but you can see here what the Delta stops look like:
https://www.deltafaucet.com/parts/product/RP50366.html
Most stops have a rubber gasket that makes the seal water tight. If they are leaking when in the open position, my guess is that something is wrong with that seal.
To use the shower, the stops must be in the “open” position. The only reason you would close the stops is if you have to work on the valve. Closing the stops restricts the water from flowing into the valve by design.
Unfortunately in your case, the best thing to do will either be to call the manufacturer (as you might need some kind of replacement part) or have a plumber come out and look at the tub/shower installation to see if they can help you figure out what might be wrong. Good luck with your project!
Recently helped a friend install a new tub and faucet. He sent me a video today that looks like the valve is leaking from the stops on the valve. Based on reading this article if he tightens the stops he will turn the water off, any idea why the stops would leak? This only happens it seems when the shower is being used.
Hi Sh, thanks for your comment. I want to preface my answer by stating that the answers may be manufacturer specific. What is true for one manufacturer, may not be true for all manufacturers.
When it comes to Delta fixtures, most R10000 series multichoice Delta shower valves can be used for shower only or tub/shower installations. The plumber will simply cap/plug the bottom port in a shower only installation. Delta does make some valves that are permanently capped at the bottom by the factory. The R10000UNWSHF and R10000UNBXHF both come factory capped at the bottom outlet port. This means these specific valves are ONLY suitable for shower only installs. Basically, for tub shower installation, you just have to make sure you have a valve with an open bottom port.
With regards to your second question, again, this is manufacturer specific. With Delta, the Multichoice universal valve is the same for both single handle and dual handle trim kits. The valve is designed to be universal and will accept either a single handle or dual handle shower cartridge.
Thanks!
Are valves for shower only trim kits different from tub and shower trim kits? Are valves for dual function shower trim kits different from single function shower trim kits?
Hi Kathy, that would definitely be a question for your plumber or for Pfister directly. It could be there is some kind of installation issue that will need some troubleshooting. This is the kind of thing you really need someone to physically take a look at because there are many possible issues that could be causing the lack of water pressure you are experiencing. Especially if the fixtures you installed are brand new, you should follow up with the manufacturer as they may be able to assist with parts or suggestions. Thanks
I installed a new rough in valve that came with my Phister Ladera model trim kit. I have lost a lot of water pressure coming out of faucet and shower head. Will rough in valve 0×8-310a fix my problem?
Hi David, sounds like you have a tub spout with a pull-up diverter which shifts the flow of water from the tub spout to the shower.
If you are having problems with the tub spout diverter, you should contact the manufacturer of the tub spout you have installed. It may be they will have some troubleshooting steps or a warranty which can help fix the problem.
In some cases it might be necessary to change the tub spout entirely to fix an issue like yours as it sounds like something is probably wrong with your pull-up diverter.
Thanks!
On my tub water spout there is a stem that I lift to divet the hate fom the spout to the shower. What it it called? It is not working. Water continues to flow through the spout with only a small difference. How do I fix it?Thanks a lot.
Hi Randall, if the shower stops are leaking they likely need to be replaced. If this is a Delta shower valve, you should give Delta a call and I think they will replace the stops under warranty for free. Here’s their number:
1-800-345-DELTA (3358)
Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. EST
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST
Thanks!
what do you do when the shower stops are leaking?
Hi Dan, to tell if the valve has stops, you would need to remove the trim kit and look in the wall at the valve itself. The stops will be very obvious if they are built into the shower valve itself. They are simply screw-driver slots you will see where the hot and cold water lines connect to the valve. It is possible that your plumber installed stops at another point in the hot and cold line (such as at the base where the water lines come out of the floor). This depends on your installation. It’s something that would be completely obvious with the wall open, but with the wall closed up, it would be quite hard to tell. Hope this helps!
Can you tell by just looking at the shower valve if it has stops or do you have to access the trim? Thank you.
Hi Donald, typically the water flow from the showerhead is most limited by the showerhead fixture itself.
If you compared the Gallons per minute (GPM) flow rate with the showerhead screwed on to the shower arm and the GPM if you took the showerhead off the shower arm you would get more water flowing through without the showerhead. Hope that makes sense.
Therefore I think you might be trying to optimize something that will not likely make a huge difference to the water pressure coming from the showerhead. Typically the flow rate from a shower valve is far more than a normal showerhead will allow.
A standard showerhead is limited by federal regulations to flow at 2.5GPM. But a Delta shower valve itself will put out 6-8 GPM. So you can see that the limit to water pressure are not really dependent on the water lines but more on the showerhead fixture restricting the flow.
Hope this helps! Thanks
Hi George, glad the article was helpful for you and I appreciate your kind words. Thanks!
Hello There, Thanks for sharing This Post about Change A Shower Valve. It’s very Helpful Post, by reading your Blog People are benefited to install or fix their Shower Valve. thanks again for your Dedication.
Hi Earl, the screwdriver stops open and close as you rotate the screwdriver left and right. To fully shut off the water, you should turn the stop as far as it will go. To open the flow of water you should turn the shower valve stop in the opposite direction until it is no longer blocking the inlet. Thanks!
With shower stops, do you turn the screws on the hot and cold valve stop as far as you can turning right or left?
If there is an access panel then I’d say quarter turn shutoff valves would basically provide the same function. Long run I think it just depends. If the shutoff valves you purchased are high-quality, I see no reason they wouldn’t last a very long time. If you purchase cheap stops you might need to replace them. It’s also a question of ease of use. If the stops are built into the shower valve you will need to take off the trim kit to access them. This isn’t very hard but it is still a bit of work. If you have a panel and easy access to separate shut off stops it would definitely be more convenient. It kind of depends on really how often you actually think you would be shutting off the water to the shower. I’d say this is probably doesn’t come up every day in a normal home. In an apartment complex, having an easy way to shut off a shower might really be important. Hope this helps! Thanks for the comment :)
If there is an access panel on the other side of the shower wall to get to the plumbing, would you choose to install quarter turn ball shutoff valves instead of getting a shower valve with stops? Which are more reliable in the long run?
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FaucetList.com
October 02, 2023
Hi Jon, it sounds to me that it may be time to replace your cartridge, or perhaps it may be time to replace your entire shower valve completely. The answer really is going to depend on the availability of parts for your existing shower. Clearly if the shower is dripping, that is a sign you likely need a new cartridge. Unfortunately cartridges are not universal in the plumbing world. This means you will need to find a replacement for your cartridge specifically. Because you mention the shower being at least 30 years old, it might be difficult to locate the exact part you need. The best next step for you would be to contact a licensed plumber and have them come out and take a look. A knowledgeable professional will be able to tell you whether or not this is a fixable situation or if it’s time to consider replacing the entire shower fixture. This is a difficult problem to diagnose without knowing your specific situation and having someone come take a look in person is probably going to be your best bet. Hope everything works out for the best!